Category: Totalitarianism

In a recent CNBC article, the northern Russian college Vorkuta Mining and Economic College was said to have burned 53 books that related to the Open Society Foundations and Open Society Institute charities of George Soros. A search effort also took place in college libraries in Russia’s northern republic of Komi to locate manuals and textbooks relating to a project of these charities. A total of 427 books were found and confiscated for shredding. A local Russian news site reported that the 53 burned books related to the Renewal of Humanitarian Education program. In an intergovernmental letter, the charities were said to have a perverted perception of Russian history by a presidential envoy.

Strained Relations Between George Soros and Russia

As of July 2015, the George Soros charities were associated by the Russian government with other pro-democracy organizations that launch soft aggression against the country. The government hinted about a potential banning of the charities and other organizations.

Banning of George Soros Charities

An official banning of the George Soros charities occurred in November 2015, according to a CNBC article. A translated press release mentions the Russian government banned these charities because the charities were a threat to state security in Russia. The statement also read that the charities posed a threat to the foundations of the Russian constitution. Therefore, the charities were placed on a list of organizations that the Russian government deemed engage in undesirable activities.

George Soros founded the Open Society charities initially to help countries transition from communism. The charities currently aim to build democracy across the globe.

Mission of The Open Society Charities

The Open Society charities operate on the view of an ideal society in which governmental accountability and individual rights exist, reports the Open Society Foundations website. The activities of these charities include paying for education for promising individuals and providing support to lawyers and paralegals who represent those who have been unlawfully held without representation. George Soros also founded Central European University to promote critical thinking after the Berlin Wall fell. He began his philanthropic efforts in 1979 by providing scholarships to black South Africans under apartheid.